The Anthem of Resilience
"Titanium" is a defining track of the 2010s, blending David Guetta's house production with Sia's raw, emotive vocal prowess. It's deceptively difficult. While the melody seems straightforward, the chorus sits high in the female tessitura, requiring sustained belting power that can easily tire out an untrained voice.
To sing this well, you need to balance vocal health with stylistic grit. Sia is known for her "cracking" technique and unique vowel modifications. Let's break down exactly how to tackle it, section by section.
AI Coach Tip: Watch Your Throat
Do not push from your throat on the chorus. If you feel scratching, you are using too much constriction. Engage your core and think of singing "forward" into the mask of your face to relieve tension.
Phase 1: The Verses (0:00 - 0:45)
The song starts in a manageable range (G3 to Bb3). The key here is texture. Sia uses a breathy, almost spoken quality for lines like "You shout it out, but I can't hear a word you say."
The Trap: Don't sing this too cleanly. Allow a little air into your tone to create intimacy before the explosion of the chorus. Keep your larynx neutral.
Phase 2: The Pre-Chorus Build (0:45 - 1:00)
As you sing "I'm bulletproof, nothing to lose," you must transition from that breathy tone into a more solid, compressed sound. The melody begins to climb.
- Resonance: Start shifting the resonance from your chest up toward your hard palate.
- Diction: Enunciate the consonants (t, k, p) clearly to add rhythmic drive against the building beat.
Phase 3: The Titanium Belt (1:00 - 1:30)
This is the challenge. The chorus line "I am Titanium" jumps to a powerful Eb5. This note needs to be belted or sung in a very strong mixed voice.
To hit this without straining, modify your vowels. Instead of a wide "Am" (as in apple), narrow it slightly towards "Em" or "Um". This narrows the vocal tract and makes the high note easier to sustain. Think of the sound shooting out of your forehead rather than your mouth.
Frequently Asked Questions
The highest belted note in the main melody is an Eb5 (E-flat 5) on the word "Titanium." Ad-libs may go higher.
Most men will find the chorus too high for chest voice. You can either use a strong head voice/falsetto for the chorus, or use the Singing Coach AI app to transpose the track down -3 or -4 semitones.
Cracking usually happens when you carry too much "chest" weight up too high. You need to mix in head resonance. Practice the chorus on a "Nay" sound to find the right placement before singing words.
